Compliant Asbestos Surveys For Government Buildings
Standing as a vital element of a nation’s administrative and legislative functions, it is crucial that government buildings (such as town/city halls, courthouses, embassies, post offices, etc.) are kept in good condition. Not only from a public service perspective, but also from a health and safety viewpoint. If a government building, or any building for that matter, was built or refurbished before the year 2000, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that you assume asbestos is present. If potential asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are disturbed (due to any renovation, significant maintenance or demolition works), or are left unchecked, these materials could pose serious health risks if their fibres are inhaled.
This is where Pillars Environmental asbestos consultants can help you. According to the HSE, the duty to manage asbestos in a building falls to the dutyholder. This could be the building owner, the landlord for the premises, or the person/organisation with clear responsibility for the building’s maintenance or repair. Navigating the minefield of compliance and health & safety risks as a dutyholder can be difficult – but with the help of our accredited asbestos surveyors, it need not be.
As a competent and fully licensed asbestos survey company, our 35 years of industry experience and specialist asbestos services can support you in remaining compliant and keeping all users of your building safe.
Providing each client with a bespoke package of asbestos services tailored to their site, we carry out five types of asbestos abatement services for government buildings across England, including: Refurbishment & Demolition Surveys, Asbestos Management Surveys, Asbestos Management Plans, Asbestos Removal Management and Asbestos Re-Inspections.
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Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys For Government Buildings
As any refurbishment, significant maintenance or demolition can disturb potential ACMs within the fabric of a building, it is a legal requirement to have a Refurbishment & Demolition Asbestos Survey (sometimes referred to as an R&D Asbestos Survey, previously known as a Type 3 Asbestos Survey) carried out at your premises, if the building is due to undergo any of the aforementioned works.
If your government building has an older structure, an R&D survey will likely be recommended. This is because the intrusive and thorough surveying/sampling procedure acts as a comprehensive method of mitigating the higher risk of containing ACMs that older constructions pose.
During an R&D survey, it is very important that all building users are vacated from the premises. This will not only guarantee 100% compliance with asbestos regulations, but it will also keep everyone using the building safe.
As licensed asbestos specialists, we will only ever extract samples according to the HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide. Once these samples have been tested at an independent, UKAS accredited laboratory, we will be able to confirm the presence, type and condition of all ACMs within your building and begin planning the next steps with you, should any course of action be required.
“It is the duty holder’s responsibility to assess the presence, amount, location and condition of any ACMs present within their property. Such properties include all industrial, commercial or public buildings such as factories, museums, warehouses, shops, restaurants, cafes, hospitals and schools.”
Asbestos Management Surveys For Government Buildings
The main aim of an Asbestos Management Survey (AMS, previously known as a Type 2 Asbestos Survey) is to locate any ACMs within a building that could be disturbed during its normal occupancy.
In comparison to an R&D Survey, an Asbestos Management Survey adopts a much more modest approach, e.g. accessing dry risers or removing ceiling tiles. This means it is safe for building users to remain on the premises during the survey, should they wish to.
Our licensed asbestos specialists will always ensure minimal disruption is caused to your government building during the course of our asbestos management services. To achieve this, our team will only ever survey or collect samples from empty or unoccupied areas of the building. After assessing potential ACMs, our asbestos consultants will then be able to advise you on the best course of action to take if these materials are in a poor condition, or are likely to become disturbed during normal occupancy.
This course of action will likely include either an Asbestos Management Plan or Asbestos Removal Management.
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Asbestos Management Plans For Government Buildings
An Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) shapes your commitment to managing your asbestos obligations as a dutyholder, by planning out the process you will undertake to ensure people using your building are safe from asbestos exposure.
What’s Included In An Asbestos Management Plan?
- A history of the materials on-site, which we will ensure are either maintained, labelled or removed.
- Timeframes for competition based on a priority and material risk assessment scale.
- An outline of who is responsible for managing the risk of asbestos on-site.
- The asbestos register.
- Details of any previous asbestos works undertaken on-site.
- The level of communication required to ensure the risk of asbestos is managed effectively.
- Any training required to ensure the risk of asbestos remains low.
Asbestos Removal Management For Government Buildings
Asbestos Removal Management is often referred to as one of the more complex and time-consuming processes in the asbestos abatement industry. But, our experienced and knowledgeable team can step in to help make this process simple and efficient. Once the potential ACM samples collected from the Asbestos Management Survey have been tested, it is crucial that the next step you take is asbestos removal.
Keeping in line with HSE recommendations, it is advised that only fully trained and experienced asbestos specialists safely and effectively manage any ACMs detected within your premises. We will also guide you through the deeper details of UK health and safety law, helping you to understand the obligations of a dutyholder and ensuring your building remains compliant, as well as safe, throughout the whole process.
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ASBESTOS SURVEYS
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Asbestos Re-Inspections For Government Buildings
Some ACMs are safe to be left in situ if they are in a good condition and are unlikely to be disturbed – as long as regular compliance checks are carried out to check-in on the status of these materials. Our Asbestos Re-Inspection services can help you with this, to ensure you, your building and all users of your building, remain safe and compliant.
Asbestos Re-Inspection services are most often advised as part of an Asbestos Management Plan, usually as a method of assessing any ACMs that have been left in situ at your government building. This is especially significant for buildings that were constructed before the year 2000, as these types of properties pose a higher risk of containing ACMs with deteriorated conditions and inspection reports that have likely passed their expiry date.
Asbestos Surveys For Government Buildings FAQs
Where is asbestos commonly found in government buildings?
There are several common locations for asbestos to be found in government buildings, including but not limited to:
- Pipe insulation
- Internal walls
- Ceiling tiles
- Floor tiles
- Textured coatings, e.g. asbestos in artex or popcorn ceilings
- Roofing
- Boiler lagging
- Pipe lagging
- Partition walls
How long will an asbestos survey take?
Our comprehensive asbestos abatement services are tailored to the unique requirements of your site, meaning every project is different. The length of each service will differ, depending on what is required. If your building is an older property, it may require a more invasive method (e.g. an R&D survey) to thoroughly assess the potential presence of any ACMs. It is also vital to assess any ACMs that have been left in situ, which may require re-inspections, in order to evaluate the status of their condition and their potential to cause harm.
What is the cost of an asbestos survey?
Asbestos survey costs can vary significantly depending on the individual requirements of your specific location(s), including: the location of suspected ACMs, any specialist equipment needed, etc.
For a better idea, get in touch with us today for a free quote.
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Areas We Offer Asbestos Surveys
ASBESTOS
SURVEYS
We undertake Asbestos Management Surveys and Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys, both of which are HSG264-compliant…
ASBESTOS
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Our Asbestos Management Plans detail how you can manage asbestos in your property, in line with legislation…
ASBESTOS REMOVAL
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
We can oversee Asbestos Removal projects to ensure a thorough, safe and compliant job is being undertaken…
